The Coney Island Film Festival’s legendary opening night is probably the best indicator of the festival’s verve, with burlesque shows and sideshow performances that tinge the event with the atmosphere of a turn-of-the-century carnival.

Twenty-five moviemakers were honored by the jury of the 46th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival on March 30th. The three-person jury, including Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton, awarded more than $18,000 in categories ranging from experimental and documentary to narrative and animation. In addition to the financial support and prestige that they receive, the winners are also qualified for Academy Award nomination.

With plans to celebrate its eighth birthday April 3-10, 2008, the organizers of the Phoenix Film Festival must be proud of their young fest. In the eight short years since the event began, it has become the largest film festival in Arizona, a state with a burgeoning cinema scene.

Expect an outpouring of Francophilia to sweep Richmond, Virginia this weekend, as Virginia Commonwealth University hosts its 16th Annual VCU French Film Festival from March 28 - 30. Billing itself “the largest French film festival in the world,” VCU’s fest will screen 11 current French features, along with a selection of shorts, at the historic Byrd Theatre in Carytown, Richmond’s dining and shopping district.

An Inconvenient Truth proved once and for all that movies can spur social change, whether through measurable impact or simply by getting the word out about complex issues to large audiences. With that in mind, Rain Bird has announced the call for entries for its second annual Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition. The competition seeks narrative, documentary, experimental or animated short films that illustrate methods and ideas for responsible water use.

Tired of the disposable entertainment dominating movie theaters today? So are the forces behind the Doorpost Film Project. The online short film contest hopes to encourage more substantial fare by seeking entries that deal with one of the following seven concepts: Love, Greed, Redemption, Pain, Forgiveness, Freedom or Energy. With over $300,000 in cash prizes, it’s a can’t-miss opportunity for moviemakers with profound visions.

At NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2003, film students Emma Heald and Gina Abatemarco were sick of living in the shadows. Most directors and cinematographers were male, they noticed, and as a result many female moviemakers were getting overlooked.

Even though Hunter S. Thompson set up the panel discussion on art and film at the 2004 CineVegas Film Festival, he didn’t show up. But “The World’s Most Dangerous Film Festival” wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily. Embodying the madcap spirit that Thompson himself saw in Sin City, administrators sent a golf cart and two showgirls up to his room to escort him to the world premiere of longtime Thompson friend (and neighbor) Wayne Ewing's documentary, Breakfast with Hunter.

At this year’s Jackson Hole Film Festival, participants won’t just be checking out screenings and making industry connections—they’ll also be helping the environment. As MovieMaker reported in its Winter 2008 story “Film Festivals Go Green,” film festivals around the country are hosting more eco-friendly events and promoting movies that follow that same tactic. According to operations manager Tanya Mark, such activism is a priority for Jackson Hole's future events. “We hope to lead by example and raise awareness among our local community as well as the film community.”

Still trying to plan the perfect Valentine's Day? Whether you've got a special someone to spend it with—or are still on the lookout—Miami-area residents have a unique opportunity to turn the typical "dinner and a movie" date into something much more with the Romance in a Can Film Festival. Now in its second year, the Romance in a Can Film Festival puts a unique spin on the "genre fest" that we've seen so often with horror, sci-fi and comedy. Though based in Miami, Romance in a Can is a truly international event. Kicking off on February 10th, the festival will screen features from all over the world—including France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Finland and the gold old U. S. of A.

From Austin to Albuquerque and plenty of places in between, MovieMaker's eighth annual countdown of the 10 best places to live, work and make movies in the U.S.

Antiwar short film The Boot of War won top honors at the Haydenfilms 3.0 Online Film Festival, taking home the festival’s $10,000 grand prize. The festival also paid tribute to independent moviemaker Michael Attardi, awarding him its first annual Innovator of the Year Award for his short film, Once Upon a Christmas Village, which has racked up much acclaim on the festival circuit.

From where the audience sits, a film festival seems like an act of kindness—an event thrown together by a local group of diehard cineastes. But as anyone whose ever worked behind the scenes on a film festival knows, there's a reason why so many positions are filled on a "volunteer" business. Bottom line: Mounting a film festival costs money. Lots of it. From renting theaters to printing programs, every penny counts. And even some of today's oldest and most esteemed events find it challenging to exist from year to year. Case in point: The Ann Arbor Film Festival.

The Sundance Film Festival launched its 2008 event in style today as Sundance Institute president and founder Robert Redford, festival director Geoff Gilmore and director Martin McDonagh, who helmed In Bruges, the fest's Opening Night film, gathered for a press conference at Park City, Utah's famed Egyptian Theatre. "As from the beginning, the Sundance Film Festival is about discovery of new talent and of issues that are resonating with filmmakers and artists alike,” notes Redford of this year's program.

When it comes to truly independent moviemaking, few studios have been doing it longer—or better—than New York City-based Troma Entertainment. So it's not surprising that the folks at Troma have been bringing more movies to the people in the form of the TromaDance Film Festival, an eight-day celebration of the wicked, weird and hysterically funny, happening in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah this January 18 - 25th.

Truthfully, the importance of a film festival begins with the hype surrounding it, and there are few better ways, at least in the film industry, to create a buzz than by netting a big name. The Babelgum Online Film Festival has done just that with their inaugural event by naming Spike Lee as Honorary Judge of the festival jury.

Lech Kaczynski, the president of the Republic of Poland, opened the 15th annual Plus CamerImage International Festival of the Art of Cinematography this week by welcoming hundreds of moviemakers and students. It was a dream come true for Marek Zydowicz, who founded the festival in 1993 with the goal of bringing moviemakers from around the world to his native land.

Screamfest horror film festival director Rachel Belofksy says she didn’t grow up loving scary movies. “As a little girl, I was terrified of everything,” she recalls. “All the vampire films freaked me out. Even as a teen, it wasn’t my thing.” Belofksy’s fear has since been supplanted by fandom. Now if you show her a good “decap” scene, she can explain its artistic merit, point by point.

When it comes to Halloween in New York City, there are certain spine-tingling traditions that don't change, including the New York City Horror Film Festival, which will celebrate its sixth year when it kicks off a five-day event on October 24th.

Since the Mill Valley Film Festival came to exist in 1977, it has managed to remain a cornerstone of the film festival circuit, encouraging the careers of once-beginners like Ang Lee and offering great programming for movie aficionados, selling approximately 40,000 tickets each year for its 11-day event, which kicks off its 30th year on October 4th.

Have you got a hankering to cook up a food and film festival close to home? Here’s some handy information about the dollars and cents you’ll need to make it all happen.

A new wave of film festivals are taking the tried and true "dinner and a movie" combo to a whole new level.

With an influx of gay and lesbian themed films making their way into mainstream America, you would think that running a gay and lesbian film festival in this country would be a money-making breeze, right? Well, sort of. As the second largest LGBTQ film festival in the country, Chicago's Reeling Film Festival is truly a groundbreaking event.

In a city overrun with film festivals and screening events, it takes a lot to get noticed. Or maybe it just takes a punk rock attitude. Inspired by the indie artist roots of its East Village location, the Evil City Film Festival has made quite a name for itself in just two years-and gained the support of top film and media companies and indie moviemakers in the process.

Park City regulars know that if they're in the mood to view some truly original work, Jim Boyd is the man to bring it to them. Part entrepreneur and part revolutionary, Boyd brings his Nodance Film Festival to the mountain for its fifth year this January, and lets us in on the three things every Park City visitor should remember.

The digital revolution is hardly a secret, but why has New
York City been kept in the dark? The Big Apple doesn't have
to wait any longer, as NY DV Show 2002 hits the city this
month (Feb.) Mindshare Ventures president Rick Friedman talks
to us about the upcoming conference.

The founders of Slamdunk are on the cutting edge of a trend that has seen an increasing number of festivals take their shows on the road, with very successful results.

Founded in 1986, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
now holds the title for the world's longest film festival
clocking in last October at 28 days. Festival President and
CEO, Gregory von Hausch, came aboard as FLIFF's Executive
Director in 1989, and has been helping to build its reputation
as one of the country's preeminent regional festivals ever
since.

Though born and educated in Texas, Jerome Rudes' entrepreneurial
spirit first took hold when he created the French-American
Film Workshop in Avignon, France 19 years ago. Today, that
event continues to prosper—though it's now known as the
Avignon Film Festival—and its American sister fest, The
New York Avignon Film Festival, continues to stand as one
of New York City's film festival highlights.

In just three short years, L. Mimosa Jones transformed
the Entertainment Development Corporation (EDC) of Las Vegas
from a start-up nonprofit to a thriving film enterprise, bringing
an additional $120 million in film production revenues to
Las Vegas. In 2001, the EDC acquired the CineVegas International
Film Festival, which is getting a facelift for 2002, and hopefully
establishing itself as a preeminent marketplace.

Cited by critics as a "Best Kept Secret Festival," Rhode Island International Film Festival Executive Director George Marshall speaks with MM about what makes his event different, the needless competition among festivals and how a screening is its own reward.

With a students-only policy, tremendous track record and tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs, the Angelus Awards Student Film Festival is a great first step in the door to Hollywood. Here, MM speaks with Angelus Director Monika Moreno about why students make better moviemakers and the triumph of the human spirit.

For many years New York moviemakers have had to travel to L.A. or Las Vegas to check out the latest in technology, but this October, the East Coast's largest production conference is happening right in their own backyard. ProductionEAST will debut October 30 – 31st at New York City's Jabob Javits Center. Event Director Michael Gallo recently spoke with MM about his first year event and the current state of production in New York.

There's no better time of year for horror fans to see their interests rewarded than October. But if the onslaught of genre-related television programming isn't enough to satiate your taste for the thrilling and the horrifying, why not see if there's a horror film festival in your area? From the tony shores of Newport, RI to the moviemaking capital of Los Angeles, CA, festival directors are scaring up audiences on the lookout for a good scream. We recently spoke with reps from five horror fests about not only their fests, but their favorite scary movies!

For Elizabeth English, the Moondance International Film Festival is about more than just film screenings and an opportunity for up-and-coming moviemakers to network-it's a chance to right the historical wrongs of an industry that has long demeaned the role of women. As she enters her fourth year of producing the event, English talks with MM about her festival's ambitious mission statement, the quick success she's found and why a film festival should celebrate more than just the actors and director.